I Think I Deserve A Raise!

Not really, but I thought this was funny. Les told me about it and said she is expecting back pay! I'm not sure if a stay-at-home dad would qualify for the same pay.

We're gearing up for Christmas and our trip to PA. The house was supposed to close on Monday but they still don't have it completed yet, so we're going to be able to go to PA to spend with my family in the cold and snow! The kids are going to love that. The weather forecast is looking really chilly.

Tomorrow is Aggie's birthday and she's very excited. Tonight, I told her stories about when she was born. She just looked up at me with those big eyes. It's hard to believe how quickly it all goes by.

The kids have loved having Mom home the past several days. I think she's more and more ready to just be home with them. I love watching her with the kids. She's so much better with them than I ever could be. But I would miss all this time that I have with them. I've got to get back to blogging more regularly because I forget so many details.

No Snow for Seth

Okay, so it was no snow for any of us, but that's the name of a children's book we have (No Snow For Seth). But it did ice, and boy did it ice! We expected some but we had no idea we'd see so many tree limbs and eventually entire trees come down. We woke up to the loud cracking sounds of pine limbs in the woods and saw a beautifully iced landscape.

When I stepped outside, the aroma of pine was so strong, much like when you first bring a Christmas tree in your house. But I couldn't believe all the limbs that were already down. It wasn't long into the morning before we heard a crash that was a little louder than all the others. I walked out to find a large limb on our roof, with the satellite dish hanging upside down. So we lived without TV for a few days. But there was no damage to the roof.

The kids quickly began requesting hot chocolate and mom read stories and nursery rhymes. They were elated that she was home (as school was closed). So we just enjoyed the blessing that our power was on and we were warm. Many in the area including Grandad & Mimi, Poppie & Nannie, and Uncle Wil & Aunt Kristin all lost power.

By Thursday afternoon we began to see some relief from the rain and ice. But the saturated ground couldn't hold two large pines that fell just between our house and our neighbors. No damage to property but a lot of work in front of us. I ventured out Thursday evening and was really surprised to see all the damage. I've heard many older folks say this was the worst they've ever seen it.

Late Thursday night we were delighted to see that Gainesville schools were to be closed again on Friday, so Les did not have to go in. She and the kids headed out Friday to run some errands and I joined our neighbor and began work on removing trees and limbs. It was a good day for work and we got a lot accomplished with a good tractor, some chainsaws, and multiple hands from other helpers.

Saturday we ran some errands and then came back for naps. McGrooter and I bundled up and headed outside to continue limb collection activities. We worked for several hours until Mom summoned him in. I stayed out until dark and we really got a lot done. By the time I came in the kids were eating and I was beat. After dinner "The Sound of Music" came on TV and McGrooter and Aggie both locked into it. I couldn't believe it but they really enjoyed it and didn't want to go to bed. So I guess once we get moved we'll have to pull out that video so they can finish watching it.

The house closing is definitely not going to be the 19th since they haven't even gotten the driveway poured. But the weather is looking promising for this upcoming week, so we hope to see them make some progress so that we can still get in before the end of the year.

Awaiting Snow

Tonight we have our best chance of snow so far this season. The kids had trouble going down as a result. It's exciting that it may snow, but I think more exciting that Mom gets to stay home if it does. It may just sleet, but as long as the roads get good and messy, we have a good chance of her school being closed tomorrow!

It's been a few days since the last blog, due mainly to another sinus infection. I went to the doc today and he actually thinks I never got rid of it that past two times. So I may have brought it with me from Birmingham. Just one more thing I wish I could have left there!

Monday was our 7th wedding anniversary. The kids and I made a cake together for Mom and we had dinner at home. We made a trip to the store with McGrooter and his "Chicken Little" hair. That was his bed head when he woke up and I just couldn't comb it. It was too cute. I think I can get away taking the kids out a little messier than Mom can.

Aggie is expressing her own since of style and fashion now. Without any help, she managed the following concoction. I didn't let her go out with the dress and hat. But I did let her put it back on when we got home, especially for Mom to see! By the way, she's dealing with another ear infection and is on antibiotics again. Evidently her tube is either clogged or has fallen out.

Not to leave the Munch out (she's usually too quick to snap a decent picture). Here is another one of one of her favorite evening-time routines (note McGrooter's hair from the morning). If we don't get the bottle fixed quick enough, she starts yelling, with a very concerned face, "Bah, bah." Yes, I know, she's nearly 18 months. But she's our baby, so we can prolong this baby stuff if we want! Next to the bottle, she also loves brushing her teeth (or rather, just chewing on the toothbrush). She yells, "tee, tee" when she thinks it's time to brush.

After we baked Mom's cake, the older two made cards for her. We fixed dinner and then had our evening routine on Monday. On Tuesday, the kids went over to Mimi & Grandad's to spend the night (since I had an early AM doc appointment). What excitement that was. They had a hard time winding down so Mimi called and put them on speaker phone. Aggie had quite the explanation, if I could have understood her. McGrooter, on the other hand, was brilliant. He said, "When the music is on, I can't sleep. And when it goes off, I can't sleep. It's a mystery!" Yes indeed, getting the kids in bed is often a mystery.

Tonight, it was good to have everyone back home with us. Maybe tomorrow we'll all be home together too, looking for snow and drinking hot chocolate!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

This morning the older two finished off the Gorilla Munch cereal. So for Munchkin and me it was leftover pancakes from the freezer. I fixed hers with a little bit of "yocal" honey and she ate those fine. On mine I put some peanut butter and honey and when she saw mine (as she does anytime she sees me with food...even if she has her own in front of her) she said, "bite, bite." I'm not sure, but I think she may have eaten more than me!

I had the intrinsic joy of fetching a toy from the toilet today. McGrooter announced loudly (in a very concerned voice), "Daddy, you've got to come see this." I didn't know what to expect. Then, there it was. A favorite toy gun of his just floating. I'm not sure how long I washed it or my hands afterward, but I'm sure I shed at least one layer of skin.

Late in the afternoon I got a call from Les that she had a flat tire. I got Esther up from her nap and loaded the three up. By the time we got there some men had stopped to help her, and the tire had been changed. The spare was even flat but they had a pump in their car and were able to pump it up. So even in a borrowed car (the other one is still in the shop), we seem to have ongoing challenges (I won't use the term "bad luck")!!

This evening we headed over to Poppie & Nannie's to help decorate their tree. Poppie had one he'd been eyeing on the land for some time, but when he went to cut it, it was 25 feet high. So he opted for a smaller one. The kids made paper chains and we strung popcorn, cranberries and marshmallows. Poppie wanted to do it the way it was when he was a kid. And it sure was fun.

As the evening wore on, we put the kids' PJs on. It felt like Christmas when I was a kid then. I remember having those "sleeper" PJs with the feet in them. Aggie found her favorite place...snuggled up with Uncle Wil & Aunt Kristin...and of course, Stinky!

The Munch also found her favorite place, snuggling with Nannie and her blanket. It was funny (kind of) while the older two made paper chains, Munchkin had to get right in there and have a turn glueing her links. She wants so badly to be able to do everything they do. I, as the youngest, can understand that!

And McGrooter...well, he never sat down to snuggle or anything CALM like that! He did, however, get a Santa beard from Poppie. We made some special Christmas memories tonight.

Thursday, December 8, 2005

Today started out earlier than I like. Munchkin was up around 2:30 with Mom and then I was up with her around 3:30. I think it must have been her tummy since she kept tooting. After a bottle and some teething tablets she went down about 4 but I couldn't go to sleep. You know how it is when you keep thinking, "I really need to get some sleep," but you can't seem to fall asleep. I hate that!

The older two got up early as usual and we had some oatmeal. It was cold and dreary today. There were threats of sleet and snow but we never got anything but drizzle. The PTA at Mom's school cancelled their meeting tonight because of the weather so we missed the Christmas performance. I fixed a pot of beans and made some cornbread so we had a nice warm meal tonight. It made me think of Dad (that's one of his favorites) and today is his birthday!

Tomorrow it's supposed to be clear and a little warmer, and the next five days show as sunny, so we're hoping to see some real progress on the house. I'm too tired tonight to remember any details from today, even though it was a good day.

Some Days I Sweet

The kids were up early again today (here's a pic of another beautiful sunrise). It's always easy to tolerate them being up when it's still dark when they are in good moods. I think they slept off all their grumpiness from yesterday. I think I did too! We started off the day with cold cereal as a break from the oatmeal and cream of wheat rotation. We got some "Gorilla Munch" yesterday at the store. This is healthy, organic cereal but you would have thought that I gave them Fruit Loops. The high-pitched giggles as I poured their bowls were infectious. Oh, the delight that cereal brings. All three of the kids at 2 bowls (Munch ate 3)!

Aggie summed it best when out of the blue she stated, "Some days I sweet." I guess that's true of all of us. We're not sweet every day. Gee, to be rid of this sin problem! She said it so angelic-like. I'm still not sure where it came from, but I couldn't help but laugh and agree.

We rode over to inspect the house and didn't see a lot of progress, but the realtor keeps reassuring us. From there we stopped in at the local IGA in Quillian's Corner. I love going in there because it's so small and kind of old-timey. We got some chicken to throw in the crock pot with some diced tomatoes and taco seasoning (makes good chicken soft tacos). Aggie decided to fall asleep in the van so that ruled out a nap later for her. It was a good thing, I think, since Munch took a much needed long nap without Aggie in the room to keep her awake!

We got to play outside for 15-20 minutes, but the temp had really dropped after naps so we had to come back in. Fortunately it was about the time Mom got home from work. McGrooter tried on his batman costume that his cousin gave him. He's quite impressive in it, I might add. After feeding them dinner Uncle Wil & Aunt Kristin came over and Les and I went to the dinner theater at Concord with Curt & Jen. It was fun and the performance was really good. We got to see lots of familiar faces and had some good chats with old friends. We didn't get home until after 10! We were both ready to pass out.

Wil & Kristin said the kids did great (except for one bite from Aggie). They did a great job of correcting her and it's so fun to see them as future parents (not that it's in the near future or anything). I got to chat with Wil a little while to about his police work. I keep telling Les if we put the kids in day care I could be an officer for a while until we get back on our feet. I don't think she's real keen on the idea.

Finally, here's a picture of the Munch from this morning eating her "Gorilla Munch" cereal. Note her bedhead hair...kind of looks like Pat Benatar, huh?!

Some Days Are Better Than Others

This wasn't really one of them. I think it is due mostly to lack of sleep (the couch just isn't that comfortable...although it's better than the bed) and round three of the colds. We made a run to the grocery store since we were low on supplies and since they're predicting a wintery mix for Thursday. In the South, if they even mention the word "snow," everyone feels compelled to go to the grocery store and buy all the milk and bread they can. I didn't want to deal with that on Wednesday.

So we went to the local Kroger this time. We hadn't even gotten out of the van before McGrooter began having a meltdown. We got through the store and he perked up a bit. He told me, "They have our aisle here." This store does have a very nice organic and health food section and they carry a line of organic milk that is less expensive than what they have. And we also found local, raw honey there too. Wow, the things I have to get excited about!

Of course when it was time to checkout, the older two needed to go tee tee. So once we got through the line (after several loud announcements that they really had to go), we all headed into to the men's room. Now ladies can't really understand why we dads don't like taking our children to the potty. It's not that we mind the task but that we know what awaits us on the other side of the door. And this bathroom, although not the worst, was no exception. So while I held Aggie up so she could take care of things, I instructed McGrooter to watch the Munch so that she did not touch anything. Well, the mistake in that is that Munchkin doesn't like being held on to. And at 17 months there's not a whole lot of reasoning I can do with her. So before long, as I was tending to the other two, there was Munch crawling on her hands and knees. If we weren't in public I would have screamed! Fortunately she didn't make it to the dirtiest spots before I could get to her. As we headed out to the van I think my blood pressure was near a fatal level. Fortunately I had my Daddy Day Care survival kit under the front seat of the van and was able to get to the bottle of Jack Daniels in time. Just kidding!

So we made it home and had lunch, then it was on to the battle of the naps. Now most days naps are really no problem. Especially if I can get one girl down and then put the other after the first is asleep. But it was late yesterday and my head was full of congestion, so I put them both down. After an hour and a half of going in there and spanking, changing two poopie diapers, etc... they finally went to sleep. I may have gotten 15 minutes of doze time myself. Oh well...

Mom got home before 4 and we began to move toward dinner. I fixed bison burgers which were mighty good. The kids, except for Munckin, gobbled them up. If you haven't tried bison, it's wonderful, lean, and healthier. The kind we found has no hormones and such. I mixed it with an equal amount of lean beef that is also hormone free. It's about $1 more per pound but it'll keep you and your children from growing a third arm or something.

Bedtime came as a warm welcome. Mom and I were able to relax a few moments and have an actual conversation before she went on to bed. Tomorrow we have the excitement of awaiting Uncle Wil & Aunt Kristin who are coming over to babysit while Mom and I go to a church function. The anticipation of that will work wonders I'm sure!

Rainy Day Fun

This morning began late last night. I'm not sure if it was the long afternoon nap that the Munch took or the lack of formula for her evening bottle. But for whatever reason, she was still not asleep at 11 PM. I kept thinking, "It was a long nap...wait it out." But no dice. I finally hopped in the van to drive in the pouring rain, 10+ miles to the nearest 24-hour grocery store to buy a can of formula. And wouldn't you know it, as I got in line (the only line open), there was a family in front of me with $100+ of groceries. Nearly 15 minutes later I was checking out and headed back home. After a bottle she went down and slept until 9 this morning! Who can resist that doll?

Today was rainy and cold and so we were inside the whole day. The kids are creative though and came up with all kinds of ways to entertain themselves. Here, the girls were pretending to nap with the bear. The Munch really just wanted to climb up and down. McGrooter entertained himself with his army.

When mom got home it was craft time! She brought home a new craft to make poinsettias with construction paper. The kids loved it and did a really good job. They cut out their paper and glued everything together. McGrooter took care of making the seeds with the paper whole punch.

After making poinsettias the kids turned to making birthday cards for Aunt Verna's 90th birthday party this weekend. They colored and cut, then Aggie "read" hers to me. I think hers said something like "children obey your parents" or something like that.

Mom also brought home an improvised Christmas tree since everything is still in storage. The kids were elated. They danced around and said, "cool!" It lights up and changes colors. I'm most thankful that it doesn't sing and dance though (like Grandad and Mimi's).

In closing I wanted to share this picture of one of the sunrises I enjoy at this house. Many mornings are as beautiful as this. Of course I won't miss the constant sore throats, the cramped quarters, the drinking from Dixie cups and eating from paper plates. But I will miss the scenery, especially the sunrises.

We're Feeding an Army Here

Sometimes it does feel like we're feeding an army, with three very hungry little ones. But lately Micah has been very into Army matters. He has a bunch of Army men, tanks, planes, trucks, etc... On Saturday evening we went to Leslie's folk's church for a Christmas dinner (the picture is of the girls before we left). Micah started pulling out these Army toys and Grandad and I kept watching wondering how many he had crammed in his pocket. Later on at the dinner table he was talking about how hungry his men were. So we had to "feed an army" so his men would be ready for battle.

It was a rainy, cool weekend. It's kind of frustrating because our hopes for the closing on the house to still be on time, are becoming dimmer and dimmer. We drove by but didn't walk down through the mud. It didn't look very different after a week.

Sunday we went to our church. It was an especially good worship service for me. The pastor opened up bragging about himself (as an illustration, mind you) to lead into his topic of weakness. Leslie and I both looked at each other and almost laughed out loud as he said, "you wouldn't like me very much if I bragged that way about myself, would you?" But as the sermon went on, my focus went off of others and onto myself. As he moved through his four points we finished each with the question, "are you weak yet?" The service concluded with our sharing in the Lord's Supper. My words are lacking at this point, but suffice to say that I wish my mindset was the way it was Sunday everytime I shared in Communion.

After church we stopped by Starbucks for me to turn in an application. I have yet to hear from Lowes or two different Home Depot stores. Wolf Camera needed someone during the day. After lunch we returned home for naps. Everyone but Micah took one, but because I sleep in the living room I got to hear "Daddy, commercials...fast forward." So I really didn't get any rest.

Tonight I worked on putting together a DVD slide show of pictures for my great-aunt Verna. She's turning 90. I sure wish I could be there on Saturday for her party, but it's just not possible at this time. I've been working on scanning in Uncle Joe's slides since he passed away earlier this year. He was an avid photographer and took some wonderful pictures. I'll include one of my favorites he took of Aunt Verna taking a picture at Yellowstone National Park.

A Visit to Mommy's Work

Today we started off with a trip to the doctor for a followup ear check on both girls. We got a clean bill of health on both. Yippee! Afterward we ran an errand and then went to Mommy's school to see her. We got to go in with a visitor's pass and go to Mommy's class to surprise her. You should have seen the look on her face. It made her day. The kids were shy meeting some of Mommy's students, but they were good. We visited some other folks and then went and got Mommy some lunch and brought it back to her. We had kind of a picnic out in the van.

It was a beautiful day and the ride home was especially enjoyable for me. I guess it was just the colors and clarity. I love the rolling hills with the mountains in the background (seeing again why they're called the Blue Ridge Mountains). I enjoy passing the farms and seeing livestock, barns and tractors. It's got me thinking, maybe the minivan is not the appropriate Daddy Day Care vehicle. Maybe this would be more appropriate:

Now that's what I'm talking about! An F-250 super crew, King's Ranch Edition. Plenty of room for the kiddos and some hay to boot! How practical is that? Okay, maybe a Ridgeline would be more practical! ;-)

Back to reality...I had the green car towed to have it checked out, although we're pretty sure the tranny is gone. I should know something Monday. Afterward I went to followup with some possible jobs. By the way, I'm looking for a job not to get out of the house or for a break from the kids but to help us get back on our feet. The last three years really turned us around financially and we're going to have to work pretty hard for a while to get stabilized and out of debt.

Another week has gone by and I'm so glad we're here, even in this tiny house, even with a broken car, etc... We always thought that Birmingham was our Wilderness experience and that when we left we'd be headed for the Promised Land. But we finally realized that Birmingham was Egypt. Some days I think I want to go back when I think of certain things, but just like the Israelites, I have to be reminded that manna in the wilderness is better than all the best food in slavery.

December One

Today was supposed to be an errand day. Mimi offered to keep the kids while I went to take care of some things, like get a driver's license, get a tire repaired, and follow up on a job hunt. We got ready and headed over to Mimi's. I called the driver's license division to find out what I needed and discovered I had to go to the VA office to get proof I was a veteran. I called and of course they failed to mention they were about to close for lunch. So when I got there I had nearly an hour to wait. So decided to head to Sears to get my tire patched. They told me an hour so I went to the bookstore. Over an hour later I came back and of course they hadn't even touched it. They were even working on cars that came in after mine. So I left, headed to the VA and got my form.

Once I got the driver's license office, I got to wait, and wait, and wait. They wanted a birth certificate, then decided they had enough info, then someone else wanted a birth certificate. It was aggravating, but I finally got my license. Afterward, I headed to follow up on some job prospects. My car decided it wouldn't shift out of second gear. Then the transmission failed completely. I coasted into a parking lot, stopped and restarted the car and was able to get a little further down the road before it did the same thing. So I called my brother and described everything to him. Looks like the transmission is shot and a new one would cost more than the car is presently worth.

I must admit it's kind of hard having a day like this wondering "why." I know God will provide. But it's still hard. I am thankful for being close to family. We were able to borrow Poppie's old car for Les to drive to work tomorrow. I'm also thankful for the good news we recieved from our mortgage guy and everything on the house looks like it's set. I'm thankful for an encouraging conversation I had with a brother in Christ today, concerning a hurtful situation we've been involved in. So there's much to be thankful for in light of all that's going on.